Tender palm shoots sell like hot cakes

Pithapuram: Tender palm shoots have been selling like hot cakes along the beach road from Konapapa Peta in Kothapalli mandal to Perumallapuram in Tondangi mandal. The palm shoots of the region are in demand in several cities, including Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

At least women belonging to 15 villages are in the business of selling palm shoots. People from nearby towns visit the place to buy them. Riders halt their vehicles while travelling on the Visakhapatnam-Kakinada beach road just to buy the tempting shoots. Each bunch, comprising three or four palm shoots, is sold for Rs 10.

The shoots are initially boiled in water and then roasted in a pot. This gives the shoots a distinct taste. The shelf life of boiled palm shoots is 24 hours; afterwards, they are prone to fungus attacks. The roasted tender palm shoots, however, can be stored for many days. Generally, tender palm shoots are available for a period of only three months from October. In places like Konapapapeta, they are available till April.

Starch and fiber constitute 60 per cent of the tender palm shoots. Food gets easily digested if tender palm shoots are consumed. A bunch of 100 tender palm shoots are sold at prices ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 250. Traders complain of depleting palm trees, but agree sales have been impressive this year.

By Saride Nageswara Rao